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An important officer Lone Pine ‘Casualty’ medal pair to Lieutenant Charles Carthew, 8th Light Horse Regiment. British War Medal & Victory Medal impressed named to LIEUT. C. CARTHEW A.I.F. Comes with a rising sun cap badge. Born Myrtleford, Victoria in 1882. He served with the militia for six years, with three years as a 2nd Lieutenant and in charge of the Light Horse in Myrtleford, prior to enlisting in the 8th Light Horse Regiment (‘C’ Squadron) in September 1914. 2nd Lt Carthew embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Star of Victoria (A16) on 25 February 1915. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant at Gallipoli on 3 June 1915. Lt Carthew was killed in action on the 1st day of the famous 7 August attack on the Nek, Gallipoli. He was 33 years of age and as he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli. He final moments are cited in Voices From The Trenches’ by Noel Carthew: ‘The Turks, who had prudently retired to their saps during the bombardment, now emerged to man their maxims again, in anticipation of their next assault… On the stroke of the half-hour, as a whistle blew, the first wave of the 8th Light Horse swarmed over the parapet. As Charles watched, appalled, he saw Colonel White immediately stagger and fall… He was never to know that within two short minutes the entire complement of officer’s had been killed and that many of them lay mortally wounded in an area of less than half an acre. There was no time to dwell on their probable demise as Major Deeble raised his whistle to his lips to signal the second charge. Poised on the firestep, Charles leapt onto the parapet, his figure outlined for an instant against the lightening sky… Charles had gone less than ten paces when he was hit by a stunning blow. His legs buckled underneath him and, as he fell, he was dimply aware that a herd of wild horses was trampling him’ (Pages 60-61). The Nek was a vitally important position on the northern end of the ANZAC front line and the scene of a tragic attack by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at dawn on 7 August 1915. It was a narrow bridge of land that stretched between Russell's Top and Baby 700 across the top of Monash Valley. The Turkish trenches on the slopes of Baby 700 allowed them to dominate the Australian positions below….The first wave of light horsemen from the 8th Light Horse Regiment were shot down by Turkish rifle and machine-gun fire. The second line, also from the 8th, scrambled over the dead and wounded of the first line to make their attack, and suffered the same fate. The 8th Light Horse suffered 234 casualties, 154 fatal. (Australian War Memorial - online). Lieutenant Carthew is mentioned in several sources, including ‘Fatal Charge at Gallipoli’ by John Hamilton, ‘The Nek: A Gallipoli Tragedy’ by Peter Burness and ‘Voices From The Trenches’ by Noel Carthew (Written based on Charles and his two brothers letters and experiences during the war and included as part of this lot).